How To Make Your Own Emergency Car Kit

I just had to write this post today about how to make your own emergency car kit. My two daughters and one son-in-law had driven up to Park City, Utah for a quick visit with friends a few years ago. The weather was beautiful with the sun shining on their way up Parley’s Canyon, one of the main east/west routes through Utah on I-80.

Here’s the deal about this particular northern Utah canyon, it can be brutal in the winter with ice and layers of frozen snow. At times, cars and trucks slip and slide going up the canyon if they don’t have snow tires, tire chains or 4-wheel drive as the local agencies try to keep the road clear during snow storms.

Of course, those that are prepared with tires, chains or 4-wheel drive are sometimes dodging those cars that have trouble driving in severe snowstorms. If you are driving down the canyon it doesn’t matter what your car is equipped with, it can sometimes be like an ice skating rink with cars sliding everywhere.

Once you start to slide your breaks will not work if it’s really icy. Most of us who drive in bad weather know we need to gear down and slow down, but sometimes there is no way to slow down once the sliding starts. I call it white knuckle driving. Mark has no fear of driving in the worst of the worst weather.

This particular day my family made it up to the canyon in beautiful sunny weather, but on the way down a truck further down the canyon ahead of them had a fire problem and the resulting chaos stopped traffic for almost two full hours. I’m sure you have probably gotten into your car to drive a short distance and sometimes the traffic stops, I mean to a dead stop.

This happened to them on their way home, and what should have been a 15-minute trip during the canyon phase was much longer than anyone could expect. Now, there is no way to turn around in most sections on this I-80 Parley’s Canyon Highway. No stopping or U-Turns allowed on either side of the road.

It has a barrier about 4-feet high going down the center of the highway in many places, so once you start driving down the road, you have to go to the next exit.

Shout Out To My Son-In-Law

I have to give a shout out to my son-in-law for filling the gas tank before heading up the canyon. Whew, it was hot that day, at least they could run the air conditioning. If it were the winter they would have had to run the car’s heater to keep them warm. It’s all about being prepared. The main challenging thing, they had no water in the car. Luckily it was only two hours sitting at a near standstill.

Cash

Sanitation Items

Diapers, these are awesome to help a young family who may be on a highway stopped for hours with a baby or a toddler.

Depends, you also may have to relieve yourself in one.

Baby Wipes.

Contact Information

Contact information, please be sure and put ICE (in case of emergency) in your phone so the highway patrol or others can contact your family if you are unable to call anyone. If you don’t have a cell phone, write the information on a 3-inch by 5-inch card that is laminated to keep it waterproof.

Stay Warm

Blankets

Jackets and wool socks

Safety

Fire Extinguisher (ABC type)

Flares/Cones to let people know your car is out of gas or broken down.

A 12-volt air compressor, work gloves, a tire plug set (buy them cheaply at Walmart), emergency repair tape – self-fusing silicone tape

Tarps, A 5×7 and 8×10. Lay the 5×7 on the ground while the larger tarp provides cover for changing a tire in the rain/mud. Of course, they’re also useful for basic shelter if you had to exit your car and hoof it to a shelter or other help.

Do Not Let Your Gas Tank Get Low

One of my readers, I call my friend, Harry sent this information on why we should not let our gas tank get low. Thank you, Harry!!

“Of course, there are the “being prepared” reasons, but here are some other reasons not to let your fuel tank get low.

1. Most vehicles today have the fuel pump in the fuel tank. When this pump works, it generates heat and it depends on the fuel in the tank to cool it. The less fuel in the tank, the less capability to dissipate the heat in the fuel pump. More heat to the fuel pump can cause premature wear and earlier failure.

2. Most gasoline today has a quantity of ethanol in it. Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water. When you have a large quantity of air in your tank because of low gasoline level, there is a much greater chance of condensation occurring. This places water in the tank which can combine with the ethanol.

If there is sufficient water, phase separation occurs where the alcohol containing water separates from the gasoline and drops out of suspension to the bottom of the tank since water is heavier than gasoline. The fuel pump pickup is located near the bottom of the tank.

If the level of water rises to that point, you will be sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck to take you to a shop to have the fuel tank drained and the fuel lines purged, not an inexpensive repair.

3. Further, with the above-mentioned condensation, rust and other contaminants can form in the tank. If these loosen and drop into the bottom of the tank, they can be picked up by the fuel pump and clog the fuel filter.

Also, the lower the fuel level, the more sloshing of the fuel occurs increasing the chance of picking up these contaminants and sending them to the fuel filter as well. If the fuel filter gets clogged enough, you will once again be sitting on the side of the road. Just thought I would point these out as further support for not letting the gasoline level drop very far before topping off the tank.”

Final Word

Your car typically comes with a jack, but make sure your car kit ensemble has everything you need. Don’t be caught without a spare tire. Let me know the things you like in your emergency car kit, let’s make this list really long, depending on where you live and the size of your family and the vehicle to carry the kit contents. Thanks again for being prepared for the unexpected.

Good idea. I was leaving Houston (planned) as a hurricane was forecast, so thousands were evacuating the city. The trip home is usually 4 hours, but it took 12. I always carry water, granola bars, and fruit when I travel as well as a first aid kit, blankets, jump starter, etc. Fortunately, I had filled the gas tank the day before. I was stuck in traffic for several hours before I could exit to get to a bathroom. I now carry an emergency bathroom kit for those emergencies.

Hi Gretchen, wow, 12 hours compared to 4 hours!! I’m with you on carrying an emergency bathroom kit! We never know how long we’ll be trapped on the highway without being able to exit. Great comment, thank you! Linda